Hello,
I am planning VFR trip to Morocco mid-August and I am wondering about some nice airports for one or two step-overs in southern Spain/Portugal with nice restaurants, nearby beaches and customs?
My current plan is to depart Bergerac routing east of Spain outbound to Fez and on the return from Casablanca routing west of Spain (or Portugal), for pax comfort, preference is mainly following the coast or fly very high over land
My flying endurance is 2h30: I can’t go Perpignan-Essaouira in one go without a blink (tough flying the same type 
)
https://www.euroga.org/forums/trips-airports/10205-morocco-december-2018?page=2
Gibraltar was on my hit list but I did read online it is a lot of hassle, anyone been there recently? I may skip the rock and its turbulences this time
I know a pilot who flew to Gibraltar in a 182 a month or two ago.
I don’t know Spain much. Explore the unlicensed fileds in SD, they are many hidden gems with hard runway, AVGAS etc….
I can recommend LECN, walking distance of the beach and quite a few chiringuitos
The airfield is not great but runway with a couple potholes is long, they have AVGAS, but be aware of frequent PJE in the overhead
If its just a customs+fuel stopover, LEMI works, but it’s in the middle of nowhere. Murcia downtown (my hometown) as well as the beaches are only a 30 min rental car drive away. PM me for special advice if interested
Further SW, you can use LEGR, with both customs and fuel, it’s inland but a great city to visit. Dont skip the Alhambra if you have a chance, but I think you have to book in advance nowadays.
Same area there’s also LEAM with customs, but not such an interesting place.
Further west is LEMG, but dont venture there in summer unless you have 500eur notes to spare and a lot of time…
You need a customs and immigration airport for exit and entry from/to the EU – also if you decide to go to Gibraltar! The most convenient for you is probably LEGR (and, as Antonio says, it’s a beautiful town and the Alhambra is breathtaking); AFAIK also the cheapest in the area. You could look into LEJR / Jerez, but in summer this tends to be very busy w. tourist CAT.
I’ve flown to Gib once a few years ago and you have to study, sign and fax/email a couple of pages of info about the airport, mainly to do with the windshear that can be seriously nasty there. Just give them a call and find out how they handle light GA these days.
If returning via Portugal, your best bet would probably be to stop for fuel in Tangiers and then make a straight run to Cascais (LPCS) / Lisbon, which I think (but amnot 100% sure) has customs / immigration.
In Morocco you’ll have to fly VFR routes (assuming you’re VFR) and avoid overflying any royal palaces! Big no-no. ATC normally warn you about it. Otherwise pretty relaxed. If venturing south of the Atlas, check Avgas availability.
Mid-August is gonna be very warm down there, so be prepared. All of southern Spain easily goes above 40C at this time of year.
Thanks Antonio for the list, yes LECN looks like a good mid-day stop plan away from the aircraft but will certainly use LEGR/LEAM for customs also, I am not sure if one can fly to GEML(Melilla) from LECN? (tough probably the place where airport staff have no clue what to do when a GA aircraft turn up in the taxiway )
Jujupilote wrote:
I know a pilot who flew to Gibraltar in a 182 a month or two ago.
As his main destination? or just transit while on trip?
I went there as pax, not much exciting things to see apart from challenging landings in A320/C130
172driver wrote:
If returning via Portugal, your best bet would probably be to stop for fuel in Tangiers and then make a straight run to Cascais (LPCS) / Lisbon, which I think (but amnot 100% sure) has customs / immigration.
Yes, I am thinking something along that, it should be ok on fuel (600nm endurance with 2h reserve), but I have to accept long flight over land back via Biarritz probably
172driver wrote:
In Morocco you’ll have to fly VFR routes (assuming you’re VFR) and avoid overflying any royal palaces! Big no-no
Did that in gliders, I mean soaring along the VFR routes not on top of the royal palace
Ref Melilla, see:
https://www.euroga.org/forums/trips-airports/7686-to-morocco-and-the-canaries#post_143473
I did not do anything else but to file a FPL from Son Bonet.
aart wrote:
Ref Melilla, see:
Thanks will go straight for Mellilla then,
Ibra wrote:
Thanks will go straight for Mellilla then,
OK, bear in mind that only works one-way: ie no customs-immigration going out of mainland spain and INTO GEML but there are customs and immigration required when going OUT of GEML and INTO everywhere else, including mainland Spain. In practice it is not a problem at GEML as customs and immigration are available all the time that the airport is open, but it may be a problem on arrival depending on where you fly to in mainland Spain from GEML .
Thanks Antonio, will be heading to Fez after so clearing customs/immigration at GEML, on the way back I am going from Casablanca probably via Jerez (or Lisbon) to avoid doing the hassle twice (a-la Gibraltar transit)
I also recommend a stop at LECN, no doubt. But for your planning, keep in mind that during approximately one month from now, there will be no AVGAS service.
